Automatic liquid-separator.



0. H. NONNENBRUCH.

AUTOMATIC LIQUID SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED luLY 8.1915.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

Lll.

IIIIIIIFIIIIII M @Hom/m1 TED STATES PATENT orricn.`4

`OTTO HEINRICH NONNENBRCH, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, vASSIGNOR TO DE LA VERGNE MACHINE C0., A CORPORATION F NEW YORK. l

AUTOMATIC LIQUID-SEPARATOR.

`spmzintation of Letters Patent.

Patenten N0v.3o, 191.5.

Application 1ed July 8, 1915. Serial No. 38,754.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO HEINRICH N oN- NENBRUCH, a citizen of Germany, and a resident of New Rochelle, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have in` vented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic .Liquid-Separators, of which Another object of my invention isa means whereby the separation of liquids of different specific gravities may be carried to any desired degree of completeness.

Anotherobj ect of my invention is a means whereby the separation of liquids of different specific gravities may be carried automatically to any degree of completion and the further separation automatically interrupted. n

' Another object of my invention is a means whereby oil may be economically and effectively separated from water and the separation automatically interrupted when any predetermined `proportion of oil hasibeen removed from the water.

Other objects of my invention will be evivdent upon a' consideration of my specificay tion and drawings.

` My invention is suitable for application to those mixtures ofliquids of different specific gravities'which are not soluble in each other and hence, when allowedy to rest, will separate into layers, the specific gravities of the different layers increasing down-I wardly. n

The usually employed methods of separating these layers o-ne from; the other is to decant the upper layer to draw' olf the lower layer, the decantation or withdrawal' being interrupted when all of the'liquid of one specific gravity has been removed. rlhis processrequires the constant attention of the operator and demands the greatest care,

in order that the one liquid may be coma pletelyvrecovered without admixture withthe liquid of the next4 layer'. In the use of' opaque receptacles, such as iron, wood,'etc.,

it is impossible to watch the condition o'f the'procedure and there is no assurance that one layer has been completely withdrawn, until a portion of the neXtlayer makes-its appearance, and hence under .these condi- `tions a complete separation without admiX- ture is impossible. It is evident that during th1s process the operator must be constantly employed in order that he may interrupt the separation. Further, it is impossible to employ this method when it is desired to retain a certain proportion of one liquid-within the receptacle, in order to admix it with the next layer of liquid, as there is no means of ascertaining the amount of liquid not withdrawn.

My invention overcomes all of the above and other difficulties incident to this method of separation, and presents a device whereby any desired proportion of one or more of the layers of liquids may be withdrawn, and

the operation interrupted automatically at any desired the operator.

My invention comprises broadlyy two liquid point without the attention of' holding receptacles, capable of connection with each other, each carrying an overflow i outlet, 4(the outlets `being so situated that an introduced liquid will continue to flow out o-f one overflow outlet while the liquid in the other receptacle will not flow out of the other overflow outlet, this condition being maintained by the difference inspecific gravitie's of thel two liquids in the tworeceptacles. p

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, similar parts are represented` by similar numbers and the ldevvice shown` is one form of my invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section in diagrammatical form of one form of my device. Fig. 2 is a cross section through the line 2-4-2 ofV Fig. 1. V

In the operation of engines, particularly of lthe oil consuming type, the introduced oil becomes impregnated with deleterious substances, such as carbon, grease, etc., rendering it unfit for re-use without purifica'- ticularly to this method of`procedure, al-` though it is evident that the. device maybe kdesired position.

- readily used in a corresponding manner for the separation of any liquids which possess the property of being deposited in layers, due to the difference in the specific gravities of the various ingredients of the mixture.

The liquid holding receptacle 5 is comprised of the cylindrical side 6, the inclined bottom 7 and the inclined top 8, the top 8 being inclined inwardly and then upwardly parallel to the side 6, forming the cylindrical top opening 9. The bottom 7 is connected" to an outlet pipe 10 fitted with a valve 11. The outlet pipe 10 above valve 11 is connected to pipes 12, 13, 14, fitted respectively with valves 15, 16, 17 by means of pipe 18. An overflow pipe 19 extends from within the cylindrical neck 9 downwardly through the bottom opening 10 and outwardly to a proper reservoir. Surrounding the receptacle 5 is a second liquid holding receptacle open at the top, the bottom 21 being hermetically attached to outlet pipe 10. The bottom of receptacle 2O isconnected to pipe 10 above valve 11 by means of pipe 22 carrying valve 23. An overflow pipe 24 extends from the upper portion of receptacle 20 downwardly through the bottom 21. The upper part of overflow pipe y24 is tted with a nipple 25, fixedly attached thereto, the nipple 25 being threaded to a short pipe 26, the nipple being of such a length that pipe 26 may be raised or lowered to any A pipe 27 leads downwardly from the bottom portion of receptacle 20 and carries valve 28. Pipe 12 leads to an air compressing medium,'pipe 13 to a supply of impure oil, pipe 14 to a supply of water, pipe 27 to a supply' of water, pipe 24 to a drain, sewer or waste carrying `system, pipe 10 to a drain, sewer or waste carrying system, and pipe 19 to an oil storage reservoir. p

In operation the process is conducted as follows: Both of the receptacles 5 and 20 are empty and all the valves are closed. Valve 16 of pipe 13 is open and the proper amount of impure oil is introduced into receptacle 5 and the valve closed. A. sufficient supply of fresh water is then introduced into receptacle '5 by opening valve 17 of pipe 14, and the valve closed, this amount of water being insufiicent to causes the liquids to reach the opening of overflow pipe 19. Valve 28 of pipe 27 is then opened and retained in this'position during the remainder'ofthe operation, thus-causing a supply of water of the proper temperature for the reaction to enter the receptacle 20 and overflqw through overflow pipe 24 into 'a drain or sewer. The proper reagents are then introduced into receptacle 5 and the mixture agitated by means lof -air allowed to enter by opening valve 15 Iof pipe 12. When the mixture has been sufficiently agitated to allow of the completion of the reaction, valve 15 is Closed and the l receptacles 5 mixture allowed to rest. Thel mixture finally separates itself into three layers, the upper one being composed tom layer of water, while intermediate between the two is 'a layer carrying the impurities. When this condition has been reached, valve 23 of pipe 22 is opened, thus placing and 20 into connection with each other, and the water entering receptacle 20 through pipe 27 willfind its way into receptacle 5 through pipe 22, and thus cause the contents of receptacle 5to rise,

the upper portion of the liquid being carried of the pure oil, the botoff through overflow pipe 19, this process being continued until the pressure of liquids in receptacle 5 to the top of overfiow pipe 19 is equal to the pressure of water in receptacle 20 to the top of overflow pipe 24. If bothv receptacles. contain liquids of the same specic gravity, the height of'the two columns of liquid in the two receptacles would necessarily be equal, but if the vliquid in receptacle 5 is lighter than the liquid in receptacle 20, it is evident that the height of the column in receptacle 5 would be greater than that in receptacle 20 in order to produce the same pressure and causel an equilibrium between the two volumes of liquid.

In carrying out the operations of the particular process under' consideration, the rising of th'e liquidsin receptacle 5 will cause the oil to gradually overflow through overflow pipe 19, and when all, or nearly all, of the oil hasbeen removed, the liquids in reservoir 5 will still have a lower specific gravity than that of the water in receptacle 20, due to the presence o-f the oil or of the layer of impurities which is also lighter than water. At this point, the overflow of the liquids in receptacle 5 will be interrupted and the water will continue to be removed from receptacleA 2O by means of the overflow pipe 24, as the top of overflow of the particular liquidstreated `in recep` tacle 5 andhence when valve 23 is opened -the device needs no further attention, as the overfiow of the liquids in receptacle 5 will cease automatically when it has reached the desired state of separation. Finally, the lsludge or impurities. and the water contained in receptacle 5 may be removed by closing valve v23 and opening yvalve 11 of pipe 10. f l

In the drawings, the liquids in receptacle 5 are shown as balanced with the liquid in receptacle 20', and the .overfiow through overflow pipe 19 interrupted when a small amount of purified oil 29, sludge 30 'and water 31- stillremain in receptacle 5 and it is evident that this remaining purified oil may be removed before the interruption of of receptacles and pipes, as illustrated iny the drawings, may be changed from their form and condition as there shown, and this particular form is illustrated simply 4to sho-w` one form of the device of my invention.

l do not limit myself to the particular form, size, shape, number, or arrangement of parts as illustrated and described, all of which may be varied without going beyond the scope of my invention as described and claimed.

What is claimed, is:

l. ln a device of the character specified, in combination, a liquid holding receptacle, an overflow outlet in said receptacle, a second liquid holding receptacle, an overflow outlet in said second receptacle, connecting means between said receptacles, the overflow outlets being so situated that a greater head of liquid may be maintained in one receptacle than in the other, due to the lighter specific gravity of the liquid of the greater head, causing the overflow of the liquid in the receptacle of greater liquid head to be interrupted while allowing the overflow to be continued in the .receptacle of the lesser liquid head.

2. ln a device of the character specified, in combination, a liquid holding receptacle carrying an overflow outlet, a second liquid holding receptacle carrying an overflow outlet, the outlets being so situated that a greater head of liquid of lighter specific gravity will be maintained -in one receptacle while alle'sse-r head of' liquid of greater= specific gravity will continue to flow through the overflow outlet of the second receptacle, closable means connecting the two receptacles, and means for introducing liquids into the receptacles. l

3. In a device of the character specified, in combination, a liquid holding receptacle, an overflow outlet in said receptacle, a second vliquid holding receptacle, an overflow outlet in said second receptacle, the overflow outlet in the first receptacle being a greater distance from the bottom of 'said receptacle than the overflow outlet in the second receptacle is from the bottom of its receptacle, closable connecting 4means between the two receptacles, means for introducing' a liquid into the first receptacle, means for introducing a liquid into the sec` ond receptacle, means for causing the liquid to flow through the two overflow outlets, and means for interrupting the overflow through the first overflow outlet while allowing the overflow to continue through the second overflow outlet, due to the difference in specific gravity of the two liquids in the two receptacles.

4. In a device of the character specified, in combination, a liquid holding receptacle carrying an overflow outlet, a second liquid holding receptacle carrying an overflow outlet, means for varying the height ofthe overflow outlet in the second receptacle from the bottom thereof,.closable connecting means between the two receptacles, means for introducing a liquid into the first receptacle, means for introducing a liquid into vthe two receptacles whereby the liquid in the first receptacle will overflow untilthe head of liquid in the `first receptacle is in equilibrium with the head of liquid in the second receptacle, causing the overflow in the first receptacle to be interrupted while allowing the overow to continue through the second outlet;

5. 'In a device of the character specified, in combination, a liquid holding receptacle carrying an overflow pipe, a second liquid holding receptacle carrying an overflow pipe capable of vertical extension whereby the overflow of the liquid in the first receptacle will be automatically interrupted and the overflow in the second receptacle continued, due to the difference in the specific gravity of the liquids in the two receptacles, closable means for connecting the bottom portions of the two receptacles, means for introducing a liquid in the lower portion of the first receptacle, means for introducing a liquid into the lower portion of the second receptacle, means for agitating the liquid .in the first receptacle, and means for withdrawal of the contents of the first receptacle.

6. ln a device of the character specified, in combination, a liquid holding receptacle carrying an overflow pipe, a second liquid holding receptacle carrying an overflow pipe capable of vertical extension whereby the overflow of the liquid inthe first receptacle will be automatically interrupted and the overflow inthe second receptacle continued, due to the di'erence in the specific gravity of the liquids in the two receptacles, closable means for connecting the bottom portions of the two receptacles, means for introducing a liquid in the lower portion of the first receptacle, means for introducing a liquid into the lower portion of the second receptacle, means for admitting air in the lower portion of the first receptacle,

and means for withdrawal of the contents of the first receptacle.

7. In a device of the character specified, in combination, a liquid holding receptacle the upper portion of which is converged inwardly and upwardly to form a neck member, an overflow outlet within said neck member, a second liquid holding receptacle surrounding a portion of the first receptacle and carrying an overflow outlet below the overflow outlet of the first receptacle, closable connecting means between the two receptacles, means for admitting liquid to the first receptacle, means for agitating the liquid within the first receptacle, means for admitting liquid to the second receptacle,

the specific gravities of the liquids in the Y two receptacles, and means Jfor removing the contents of the first receptacle.

Signed at New York city, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, this 6th day of July, 1915.

OTTO HEINRICH NONNENBRUCH. Witnesses:

WILLIAM T. PRICE,

LEO WEIL. 

